Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-09-09

LESS POPULAR IN VERMONT.
Cleveland's Change in tue New England
Revenue system.


Correspondence of the Evening Recordl
MONTPELIER, Aug 31.-"Mr. Cleveland
has lost what little popularity he had three
years ago among the democrats of this
State, excepting, of course, Atkins,
Smalley aud the crossroads postmaster"
These were the words of we'll known
Vermont democrat the other day while
discussing the political situation.
The president has not treated 1.-THE faith
ful' in this State with what they deem
due consideration. Among the acts of
his which they have taken exception to
was the recent removal of George L. Spear
from the office of internal revenue colec
tor ana the uniting of the Vermont dis
trict with that Of New Hampshire.
Before the Change Vermont constituted
one collecting district under one collector
and four deputy collectors The work re-
quired of these five officers was sufficient
to keep them ali very busy, and N Il dis
trict containing over 240 towns, with over
332 900 inhabitants, this force was noue
too large. The appointment of Mr.. Spear
in 1881 VAS almost the only appointment
the administration has made in this State
against which strong reasons were not
urged, and by which the efficiency Of the
service was not materially lessened. Mr..
Spear WAS conducting his office with
marked ability, and had brought to light
some OF the worst cases of Illicit di-tilling
ever known in this State. He had follow
ed these moonshiners TO trial and, at the
time of his removal, was prosecuting 10
cases for this offence in the United States
Court, the fines from which on conviction
would have been many thousand dollars.
The Vermont district is now merged i'll
that OF New Hampshire and, with that of
Maine, is gwen over to the charge of
Calvin Page, one OF Frank Jones's sattel.
ties, who has his headquarters at Ports
mouth, n. II. The revenue business of
this Sta lie is now left in the care of two
deputies, though, in reality, OF one for
Deputy Brown OF Burlington, with his
salary of 5000, does only office work. To
A j. Slbley Of Montpelier, who was Mr..
Spears deputy, is left the entire work
which formerly kept fvo officials busy. Mr..
Sibley formerly had Sl4O0 year with 5000
travelling expenses, and had TO be on the
road only part OF the time. he now gets
$1,000, with travelling expenses, and has
to travel almost constantly. II has been
said by two former collectors of this dis
trict that the result of the change must
be serious impairment Of the service in
this State. The losses occasioned by
the change will amount to much more
than the small amount gained by
the cutting down of salaries and the de
crease in the number of officials. The cX
cuse given to the democrats here was that
of economy, but the apparent absurdity of
such claim is recognized by everyb body.
The truth is, and this is what initiated the
members of the minority party in this
State, the president has chosen TO sacri-
flee his friends in this State and In Maine
for the sake of strengthening himself in a
locality where democratic stock stands
higher than in these two republican and
prohibition strongholds. or the many
moves which Mr.. Cleveland has recently
taken to fortify himself with the makers
of the slate for 1885, the object of this re-
cent change in the Vermont collectorship
is one of the most apparent.
Beside the reason OF an alliance with
New Hampshire democratic leaders,
which has been given for this slight upon
the leaders of the minority party in two
republican New England States, another
reason for the same thing and involving
the same personal motive has been given
by those who know the feelings of Mr..
Cleveland and his Washington officials in
regard to the prohibition laws. 1t is this,
tn4t they wished to diminish the efficiency
Of the prohibition law of those two States.
The law of both Maine and Vermont pro-
vides that in prosecutions for the illegal
So e of Intoxicating liquor the possession
OF United States lie use should be
primd fdcie evidence intent to sell.
The only way in which the possession of a
license can be proved IS by the books OF
the collector. In three cases within the past
two years collectors have been summoned
as witnesses IN liquor prosecutions, aud
ton, refused to produce the books of the
office, alleging that it was against the
rules of their Office and contrary to ia
structions from the authorities at Wash
ington. In the case of Deputy Murphy in
Maine, who was kept in Jail three weeks
for refusing to produce such books, a
hdbeoS corpus was refused him by the
State courts, and in both States il
was decided that the collector must
give the evidence required. Liquor deal
ers were in quandary, and the govern
inent officials were uplussed; but the
Gordian knot has been cut for them, anC
in way that il highly pleasing to tn,
liquor men. With the Office and all The
books at Portsmouth, n H., one Of th'
most effective means OF proving "nuis
Rnces" under the prohibition laws o
Maine and Vermont is done away with
Boston and New Hampshire wholesalers
and Maine and Vermont retailers, taxi
the hint and shout for Cleveland and re
form"